Meg Ryan certainly captured our attention in the famous restaurant scene of When Harry Met Sally as she demonstrated her pleasure acting talents. And let’s face it, everyone wanted to have what she was having.

This got me thinking, how many times have you tried something because a friend did? A special product to stop your midnight acid reflux. A grapefruit diet to lose 5 pounds quickly. A detox juice to get rid of your adult acne. In the end, it usually fails because it’s not based on one critical thing: the root cause of YOUR issue, which can be simple or multi-faceted.

So if you’re considering trying something that another person has recommended, be realistic with your expectations because if you don’t have the same root cause, it is unlikely to perform the miracles they’re shouting from the rooftops.

Just look at lack of sleep, a very common problem that could stem from a variety of underlying issues; hormone fluctuations, elevated cortisol (stress) levels, mineral deficiency, poor sleep routine or sleep hygiene (e.g. watching exciting tv before bed, tech in the bedroom), or it could be  a combination of some or all of these things and more!

But rather than give up, declare defeat and just resign yourself to being a “bad sleeper” because you’ve tried tips that worked for others and they didn’t work for you, do a deeper dive to see what else could be going on for you that might not have been going on for them.

Another common issue I see in my coaching sessions is long-standing gut issues, discomfort, bloating, gas, irritability, etc. These problems have been experienced for so long it’s become normal and expected and just “who I am.”

Would you accept this kind of excuse in any other area of your life? If you went and bought a beautiful, brand new BMW and you drove it off the lot and it started to make all kinds of weird and wacky noises and wasn’t acting right, would you just continue on? Of course not! You would take it back to the dealership for repair and maintenance.

I encourage you to think of your body like a premium car and show it the concern and care it so deserves. It is important to get to the root cause of your issues because it is very likely that it’s only going to get worse if left unchecked. In the case of gut issues, it could lead to more complex or serious problems such as leaky gut and immunity issues such as arthritis or an autoimmune disease. And because the problem was caused over a lengthy period of time, it can then take years to solve and reverse.

So vow to give yourself the quality of life you long for. Stop ordering what she’s having and work to figure out what is causing your symptoms. It requires some detective work and perhaps elimination and re-introduction but eventually, with a little time, effort and some assistance from a trusted health practitioner, you’ll get there and be back to the healthy, energetic, vibrant woman you were born to be!